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Military Intel and UP Police bust Army recruitment scam, ISI hand suspected

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The Indian Army’s Military Intelligence (MI) in conjunction with the Uttar Pradesh Police has busted a racket detrimental to India’s national security. The army’s intelligence arm and the UP Police have found that a racket that allegedly assisted several youths who gave fake documents in the last two years to get jobs in the army, the Times of India, reported.

The investigation led to an ex-serviceman, two police officials, and five others getting arrested. But what is alarming for the investigating team is the possible involvement of Pakistan’s rogue spy agency, the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI). It is suspected that certain other anti-national elements might have managed to induct their men into the army through this sinister racket.

The racket was active in four districts of UP and 21 people have landed jobs in the army through this method. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has been roped in by the state police for the re-verification process of all candidates who made it into the armed forces through this scam from January 2019.

Rajesh Pandey, DIG OF Bareilly range said, “I have ordered re-verification of all the successful candidates in Bareilly, Pilibhit, Budaun and Shahjahanpur. We have also asked the IB and other security agencies to join the investigation. I am monitoring the case and coordinating with all the agencies,”.

The five accused: Suresh Som, Hukum Singh, Paramveer Singh, Mukesh Kumar, and police constable Manveer Singh were arrested from a rented apartment in Banda area, Shahjahanpur.

“Suresh Som was a havildar in 26 Rajput Regiment and retired in February 2010. Our Bareilly unit is thoroughly investigating the case with police. A separate internal investigation is also going on. The possibility of the involvement of anti-national groups like ISI cannot be ruled out as Som had leaked inside information to recruit the candidates on fake document,” stated an MI officer from Bareilly.

The investigation agencies are examining the antecedents of the concerned 21 candidates currently. More individuals could be discovered as the investigation proceeds. 

One of the arrested police officer, Manveer Singh according to S Anand, senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Shahjahanpur, said he exploited his position and approved the fake documents of the candidates. “It is a very big scam. Data of 21 candidates, shortlisted in the army through fake documents and showing them as residents of Bareilly division, has been found so far,” the SSP said in a press conference.

Anand added, “We have seized 23 fake stamps of government offices and village heads. Several forged mark-sheets and other fake documents were also recovered from the accused. We are trying to find out the total number of candidates who were recruited through fraudulent means. This is a matter related to national security and no one will be spared.”

The SSP further declared, “One of the accused constables, Manveer, had accepted a bribe of Rs 52,000 from the accused for the verification of a candidate. The accused were getting huge amounts of money for the recruitment. The involvement of ISI or some other anti-national forces behind this racket cannot be denied.”

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